See, the problem with calling Republicans what they truly are is that they’re the ones with the messaging apparatus sinking billions into right-wing propaganda campaigns. You’d think that on paper giving a fascist the time of the day would disarm them into submission, but one of the very first thing they learn as a result of becoming a fascist is that words don’t matter anymore. Fascism by definition twists the rules and norms in any way or shape possible to always end up on top of an argument no matter what.
Right on cue, the perfect example. “My Dear Leader isn’t a fascist, my opponent is! Look at all those buzzwords that totally make sense! LOOOOOOOL!”. This is the level of discussion you’re dealing with, and when it comes to putting your words against a fascist’s, theirs are the ones being amplified by the vast majority of media outlets and social media websites.
This also applies to elected representatives, nobody wants to have their words taken out of context by complicit outlets and used to sabotage their campaign. The most ignorant dumbfucks on the Republican side, though? They get to go on committees and spew their garbage through official channels with minimal fact checking due to the sheer metric volume of bullshit they’re pushing out.
So yeah, to put it simply, as much as we’d like to see Democrats go on the offensive, they’re playing with a handicap against a stacked deck.